Drying apparatus.



PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

G. A. GUTTER.

DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1906.

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PATENTBD JUNE 2, 1908 Nol 889,209.

G. A.. CUTTER.

URYING APPARATUS.

APPLloATIoN FILED MAY 21. 1906.-

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIOE.

GEORGE A. OUTTEE, or BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOE To VACUUM PROCESS COMPANY, AOOEPOEATION or WEST VIRGINIA.

DEYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ,timeA 2,y 1908.

Application led May 21, 1906. Serial No. 317,969.`

until it is thoroughly dried upon issuing from the machine.

The main difliculty in carrying'out this drying process, especially with pulp which, when moist, has very slight tensile strength, is in introducing the pulp to the machine in the first place, it being obvious that if a web of pulp is to be carriedback and forth over a large number of drying' members,.it Would be a very difficult, if not impossible, task to carry the pulp through the machine'in the beginning by hand, Without tearing the pulp or varying the direction, so-that, in the further process, the pulp would travel to one side or the other and become, torn. A further difiicult shrin age of the material in drying, which might result in tearing the web, if not compensated for in Some Way.

One of the features of this invention consists in a device for starting the operation, that is, mechanically carrying the Web of pulp entirely throughthe machine, so that it Will. travel over feed rollers and inter osed sta-- tionary drying surfaces, the feed ro lers, after the pulphas once been started, serving' to continuethe feedingoperation Without further use ofthe starting device. It is necessary, furthermore, to utilize a large number of drying surfaces in order thoroughly to dry the pulp before it issues from the machine, and as the pulp shrinks in drying, the feed movement, in accordance with the invention, is arranged to compensate for the shrinka e, being retarded as the p ul progresses, te feed at the end of the mac ine being slower than that at the beginning. This'regulation of the feed may be accomplished by dividing the machine into sections, each section conto be overcome is due to the natural.

.same time, indicate, by its so that an operator W taining a certain number of feed rolls and drying surfaces, and the feed rolls inv consecutive sections are provided with means for varying their velocity, there being also tension devices between adjacent sections,which also operate as indicators, so thatthe operator can tell if anyreadjustment of the consecutive parts is necessary. The initial feeding or introducing device consists of a positively driven transverse member or bar which isarrangedto .engage the under side of Aa sheet or web of pulpV as it comes from the final pulp rolls .of the pulpmaking machine, this member being positively driven so that it will pick up a' loop of the web, the fold ofv which `1s transverseto the line of travelvof the web, so that-thelweb carried by the transverse member Will be drawn through ,the

machine over the web feed rolls and" heating surfaces in a straight line.

In the construction shown, the transverse feed member is carried by one or more endless sprocketchains, there being preferably a chaink at each side ofthe machine, the transverse member extending across from one chain to the other, andthe chains being positively driven and provided With speed-varying means.

t is-not necessary to attempt to automatically vary the speed of the chain as it travels through the machine, since the chainis only used 1n thev initialL process of starting they pulp. It is suflicien't, therefore, to provide the chain, or other driving device, With 'a Speed-varying mechanism, such, for example, as conepulleys, Whichfcan be manipulated by the operator during this initial step. In order to com ensate for theshrinkage, however, after t e operation has been actually started, 4the various sectionsjof the machine,

as above mentioned, .are provided Withsepal rate driving devices for, tlie'feed` rolls, anda-5 r each of these driving `clevice'siiis provided with s eed varying means, snchjascone pulleys."

etweenthe sections, moreover, the pulp is caused to travel over a tension rollwllichl u on by its oWn Wei'ht Orfby fa* lill ulp,'s'o

may be acted spring, this ro ying in a loop of t 'e `as to take up slackautomatically, an at the i rise orfallthe amount of variation In speed Which is necessaryin the consecutive sections. ter off-act, the shrinka e Will vary but little,

i soon learn by expe- As a matrience about what the necessary consecutive speeds are; and very little adjustment or variation will be necess in practice.

The transverse mem er which carries the 5 pulp through, in its initial movement, is provided With means for reventing the ulp at the point where it is fblded over said) member, from co in contact with the'heated surface, so that t e looped portion will not be rubbed or torn off.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the invention with art of the casing broken out to show the meclhanism; Fig. 2 is a detail in ers ective, on an enlarged scale, showing t e 'dlriving mechanism for the chains and for the feed rolls 3 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, on the line :c3 of F' 1, the carrier member being shown in a )different position, and the middle part of the machine being broken out.

Without referring at first to the s ecific construction and arrangement of the riving mechanism, the pulp-carrying member a, which initially starts the ulp through the machine, is shown as a ro or bar which eX- tends far enough in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the web ofA ulp to engage the under side thereof. In t e construction shown, the member is extended completely across the machine and is connected at its opposite ends with driving chains b, the means for which will be hereinafter described.

In its initial osition, the bar a, lies below a. pair of pulp rolls A which deliver the pulp in web shape, the outer ed e of the web being carried over a guide roll so that at the beof the operation, a web of pul indicated by the letter C, extends from t e rolls A to and over the support' rofl B. This web of pulp projects acrossmle path of the membera, it being obvious, therefore, that since the chains will produce an upward movement of the member a., a loop of pulp will be picked up andwill hang over the member a., whichwill then carry the ulp guided by thesupplemental guide roll E in the direction of travel of the member a.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the member a carried by the chains b travels back and forth over sprockets in a path adjacent to the heated drying surfaces d which may be of any suitable shape, but which are herein shown .as slightly convex, so that the pulp, when once started to travel through the machine, will lie snugly against the heated surfaces, without, however, pressiu so firmly against these surfaces as to pro uce objectionable friction.

It is necessary, in the initial feed movement of the pulp that vthe loop of the web C which hangs over the member a. should be kept out of contact with thel rolls and the dryin surfaces, in order to prevent the pulp from eingl chafed by frictional contact wit l these surfaces, which, of course, would re sult releasing the pulp from the member a, and reventin the complete operation of carrying the pu p through the machine. For thispur ose, the member, a, is provided with means or keeping it at a distance from the drying surfaces as it travels past them. In the construction shown, the member a. is connected with hangers a2 which are ivotally connected with the chains, andP pro# vided with inclined engaging surfaces a3 at opposite sides which engage the surface of t e rolls and drying cells, as best shown in Fig. 3, thereby the member or bar a away from said surface, so that the loose or hanging lportion of the web, which is 'indicated by the letter C2 in 2, is held out of contact with the surfaces over which the main portion of the web is to travel.

In order to prevent vibration of the bar a, the member a2 is provided with springs a4 which bear against' a lug or projection on the chain so as to keep the part 0.2 substantially centered, exce t when it is pushed aside by contact with the rolls or the dr surfaces.

In order to drive the chains -e sprockets c are shown as connected with spiral gears c2, the sprockets and gears, as best indicated in 8, being supported in bearings c3, and being hollow to receive the shafts e which carry the feed rolls f which feed the pulp during the regular operation of the mac e.

The gears c2 are acted upon by cooperating gears c* which are arranged along a shaft c5 which is capable of s eed regulation, the said shaft being hereinv shown as driven by cone pulleys c6 and c7 on the shaft c5 and the main driving shaft E, as best shown in 1.

It is to be understood that any speed regu- 105 lating device may be utilized, the cone pulley having been chosen as a' practicable expedient and one easy of illustration.

The cones c and c7 are connected by means of a belt cs, and the cone c is shown as provided with a clutch c", so that it can be clutched to the shaft c5.

Since the driving chains b for the bar or feed member a. are utilized only during the o eration of carrying the pulp once through 115 t e machine, it is obvious that a skilful attendant can mani ulate the speed of the chain to correspond to the shrinkage of the ulp in drying, and thereby uprevent the same Lom being ruptured, or pu ed off of the feed 120 bar during its travel.

As soon as the web of pulp has been carried completely through the machine, the chains may be stopped, leaving the feed member a at a point somewhat below the 1.25 position shown in Fig. 1, ready for a subsequent o eration, if it is necessary to start up when t ere is no line of pul extending throu h the machine. After t e pul has once een carried completely throng the 130 machine, the movement thereof is controlled by the feed rolls `fwhich are arranged "above and below the drying members d, the said feed rolls beingllocated between the adjacent members, so t parted to the web at regular intervals.

duce the speed of t e feed as the pulp aproaclies the end of the machine from which itis delivered after being fully dried. For this purpose, the machine isdivided into aA of a cone pulley E2 on the driving shaft E,

and a corresponding cone pulley E2 which is shown as having bearings near the middle of the machine, the said pulley having a c lindrical driving surface E21 which connects by means of beltsG and G20 with shafts g12 and g22 which, in turn, drive a series of the rolls f to feed the pulp through that section of the machine.

As previously stated, the rolls f are carried by the shaftse, which are mounted in bearings e2 and provided with bevel gears e3 which mesh with a series of bevel gears- 913 on the up er shaftglz, and 923 on the lower shaft g",

it eing obvious that the rolls fin a given.

section arc driven at a given rate of speed which can be governed by shifting the belt E22 which connects the cone pulleys E2 and E2".

As shown in Fig. 1, the next section of the machine is driven in a similar way through the agency of the shafts gm and gm, it being deemed unnecessary to repeat the description and the reference letters, since it is obvious from the previous description that the speed of the feed rollsf of the two sections can be independently governed by a similar means, This dividing of the machine into vsections can be carried on to whatever extent may be necessary for the effectual dryin of the pulp, as a matter of fact there usually eing a number of sections, as the pul must necessarilyV travel a considerable distance along the heated surfaces before it is thoroughly dried. The variation in the length of the web due toshrinkage is further com ensated for to av certain extent by means o any suitable takeup device such asp the gravity roll h which is arranged to hang in a loop of the web between adjacent sections.

As an illustration, the simplest form, viz., that of an ,idle roll h, hanging in a loop'of the pul is indicated, it being obvious that the rol will be lifted as lthe pulp shrinks,

thereby serving vas 'an indicator to `the ,atlv

tendant 'who can govern'v the speeds of thef successivesections of feed :rolls accordingly.

In other Words, if the rolll It continues to rise at the feed movement is im.-v4

In order to take care of the natural shrink-if age of the'pulp in dr ing, it is desirable to rerulp travel' through the machine adjacent to the 130 in the operation of the machine between adjacent sections,.l the attendant can adjust the speeds until the roll remains substantially stationary, the said roll, at the same time,

serving as a compensating device for minor variationsA j vWhat, -I claim 1s:

, f 1; In a drying apparatus, the combination with a series of drying surfaces; of feed rolls for carrying the web of material to be dried back and forth in a ath adjacent to said surfaces; a feed inem er to engage the front portion of a w'eb of material; and means for carrying said feed member through the machinein the path which the 'material is toy follow in the operation.y

2. In a drying apparatus, with a series of dryingsurfaces; of feedrolls for carrying the web of material to be dried back and forth in a ath adjacent to said surfaces; a feed mem er to engage the front portion of a web of material; means for carrying said feed member throu h the machinein the path which the materia is to follow in the operation; and means for varying the speed of movement of said feed member during its travel throughthe machine. c

3. In a drying apparatus, the combination with a series of drying surfaces; of feed rolls to carry the web of material to be dried; a feed member to engage the front portionfof said web; and means for carrying said feed member through the apparatus.

4. In a drying apparatus, the combination with a series of drying surfaces; of feed rolls for feeding the web of material through the apparatus; .a feed member to engage the front portion of the rying said feed member through the apparatus; and means for varyin the speed of movement of said feed memer during its travel.

5. In a drying apparatus, the with a series of drying surfaces; for guiding the material to be dried; a feed member to engage a loop formed in the front portion of the material; and means for car.- rying said feed member through the apparatus. i y i 6. In a machine for drying pulp, the combination with a feeding member provided combination 'with driving chains at opposite sides of the machine, said feeding member being ar ranged to engage a webof pulp so as to carry a loop thereof; feed rclls arranged to act upon the pulp after it has been carried through the machine; and inde endent drivingfdevices for said feed mem er and said feed'rolls.

v7'. In a machine for dr g pulp, the (combination with a series o stationary drying surfaces; of a feed member comprising a transverse bar arranged to en'ga e a loop of means for causing said fee member to said web means for car` of feed rolls the combination Y heating surfaces; and guides for said feed member ada ted to engage each heating surface and hold) the feed member out of contact therewith to prevent the loop of pulp on the feedv member from being rubbed or ohafed.

8. In a drying apparatus, the Combination With a series of drying surfaces; of feed rolls for carrying the material to be dried back and forth in a path adjacent to said surfaces a feed member to engage a loo formed in the front portion of the materia g means for carrying said feed member through the machine; and means for holding said feed member and the material thereon out of engagement with the drying surfaces.

9. In a drying a paratus, the combination with a series of rying surfaces; of a feed member to engage the material to be dried .and carry, the same pastlsaivd drying surfaces; and an endless chain to operate said member, substantially as described.

10. Ina drying apparatus, thecombination With a series of drying surfaces; of feed rolls for carrying a Web of material past said surfaces; a feeding device to engage the front edge of a web of material to carry the same over said feed rolls in startin the operation; and means for controlling t e operation of said lfeeding device.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speoiioationin the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GERGE A. CUTTER.

Witnesses:

W. E. COVENEY, H. J. LrvERMoRE. 

